King Kenny bids to emulate Hoy's hat-trick of gold medals in Beijing eight years ago when he attempts to complete a sprint treble in the keirin here on Tuesday.

The Duke of Bolton has already climbed to the top of the podium in the team sprint and individual sprint events in Rio.

And although the keirin is more unpredictable - the pack follow a pizza delivery scooter around the track for five laps before 750 metres of every-man-for-himself – Hoy, the only Brit to win six Olympic titles, is backing Kenny to smash his record.

And although he is unlikely to stockpile 23 gold medals like American swimming machine Phelps, whose bullion stash is partly based on 10 relays and the excessive permutations of strokes and distances in the pool, the Real McHoy believes his heir is destined for greatness.

Hoy won three gold medals in Beijing in 2008 - and Kenny will attempt to do the same in Rio (Image: Goodwood Photo Library / Marcus Dodridge)

He said: “I think Jason will go to Tokyo in 2020 and perhaps even beyond that. And he could continue to win, in which case he could win nine gold medals, even 10.

“He could be the Michael Phelps of the British team because he has that ability to win when it really counts.

American swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time (Image: Reuters)

“In the last four years, he has not won many world titles, World Cup races or major championships, but he has come into form at just the right time – and if he keeps doing that, who knows where he will stop?

“Why do I have so much faith in him? Two reasons – first, the times our sprinters were doing at their (pre-Olympic) training camp in Newport were exceptional.

“He did a 9.55sec flying lap in training, which he replicated in the 200m time trial here.

Kenny has been in fine form in Brazil (Image: Getty)

“And second, he can handle the pressure. He doesn't get affected by it, he can always produce his best when it counts at the Olympics. He is able to soak up all the immense pressure loaded on his shoulders.

“Now Laura has got three gold medals as well, so they could have nine or 10 between them by the end of these Games. Obviously they will not leave their medals at home, in case there are any burglars watching!”

Kenny's latest triumph was his all-British duel with room-mate Callum Skinner in Sunday's sprint final, where the British team-mates were the best of enemies.

And Hoy, the only man ever to beat Kenny in an Olympic head-to-head sprint, added on the BBC: “There are so many nations where the top dogs can have personality clashes or they have issues with each other.

“But in Team GB, even when we have No.1 and No.2 in the world, you can see they are friends off the track. They get on, they shake hands and it makes me so proud to see that. The future looks bright for team sprinting in Britain.”

Another five-time champion, Sir Bradley Wiggins, echoed his fellow knight rider's comments on Kenny's frightening potential to rewrite the Team GB record books, if not actually trash them.

Five-time champion Bradley Wiggins has also backed Kenny for continued success on the track (Image: Getty)

Wiggins said: “I don't know when the British cycling 'boom' will end and I don't want it to. It seems we've got new people coming through all the time.

“On the road we've got Adam Yates – it looks like he's going to be the next one when Chris Froome retires.

“And on the track, Jason's still only 28. If he can be bothered to get out of bed after the Olympics, he's got another two Games left in him. He could end up with 12 gold medals by the end of the next two Olympiads – and he could have six after this one.”